Tyler's Job

So after many requests from my lovely wife, I will explain what I am doing this summer for legal experience. I am an intern at the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Oklahoma is one of two states to have a seperate supreme court for criminal law. So I get to put on a spiffy suit (preferrably a three piece suit), and travel down to the capital.

I'll try and describe the appellate process. When a criminal appeals his conviction the case comes to Court with the record. The record is everything that happened at trial as well as two specially written documents called briefs. One is from the defendant and one is from the state. The criminal alleges propositions of error, or in other words, the criminal alleges that someone screwed up at the trial court level and he deserves a new trial or a lesser sentence. Each judge is assigned a case and drafts a decision or opinion on the appeal(Case). The opinion circulates among the other judges. during this circulation time, a judge decides either to concur(agree) or dissent from the draft opinion. It takes three out of five judges to hand out an opinion. My personal job is to review these opinions and to inform my judge on whether he should concur or dissent.

Occasionally I get to do an extra fun assignment--RESEARCH MEMORANDUM. These memos are done to inform my judge on certain areas or topics of the law. I have been researching a special area of search and seizure law. Most of my time has been spent learning how to write specifically for my judge. The reason these assignments are a lot of fun is that there is a possibility that some of your personal research and writing can become part of your judge's writing. You don't get credit in the opinion, but you know that your work influenced the judge's writing.

Well I know this stuff sounds pretty dry for all you soccer moms, business dudes, and college students, but for me this is a great honor and hopefully this will lead to a good job after school.
- from Tyler

In other words...He works for a judge here in Oklahoma. Haha
-from Jen